The present invention relates to electric cigar lighters, for example, for automotive vehicles, as well as a universal electrical power socket, for example, for vehicles, to allow electrically powered devices to be powered from the universal electrical socket. The electrical socket furthermore allows the electric cigar lighter of the present invention to be employed therewith. Moreover, the invention relates to an accessory electrical plug which can be employed with the universal electrical socket.
Modern vehicles are increasingly being supplied in standard form without cigarette/cigar lighters in an effort to reduce the smoking habit. Furthermore, modern vehicles are increasingly being supplied with electrical power sockets for powering modern electronic devices, for example, chargers for electronic devices, computers, video players, and various other forms of electronic equipment.
In the past, when cigar lighters were standard equipment in vehicles, the lighter was plugged into a vehicle electrical socket. The electrical socket typically included a bimetallic element which the cigar lighter, when inserted, engaged to energize the lighter, and which deenergized the cigar lighter when it reached operating temperature. By placing the bimetallic element in the socket, the lighter could be made simpler, essentially comprising a knob, heating element and spring with necessary electrical and thermal insulating elements.
Now that vehicles are not being supplied with lighters as standard equipment, the electrical sockets in the vehicles no longer come equipped with the bimetallic disengaging elements. Accordingly, the bimetallic elements have been moved to the lighter unit itself. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,740,850 to Mattis and European Patent Application No. 09004224.3.
These designs, however, suffer from disadvantages relating to achieving adequate electrical contact at the high currents involved and relating to providing adequate thermal protection of the knob and adequate heat transfer to the bimetallic element to enable reliable operation.
Furthermore, because the bimetallic element is no longer located in the socket, it is desirable to provide an improved electrical socket which provides improved electrical contact for powering both lighters as well as portable electric/electronic equipment but yet which still allows the prior art plugs employed with prior art sockets to be used.
Furthermore, it is desirable to provide an improved accessory electrical plug which can be plugged into the socket to power electrical/electronic devices.